News & Events
2010 Director’s Dinner – Public Sector Procurement
Cordoba Group is planning its next dinner for early 2010 to focus on issues affecting Public Sector Procurement. The dinner will be held at the House of Commons and we will be inviting CEO’s, CFO’s and CPO’s from the Public Sector – if you are interested in attending, please contact Peter McDonnell
Talent Management Focus Group
In October 2009 Cordoba held a Talent Management Focus Group at the Research House. The attendees included representatives from Thomson Reuters, Royal Mail, Alcatel-Lucent, and Brent Housing Association. Please feel free to download our pdf newsletter which summarises the key points and conclusions of the focus group.
Cordoba Resourcing Expansion
Stewart Coia, Managing Director of Cordoba Resourcing, the recruitment arm of Cordoba Group, has increased the size of the team in response to increased market activity. CRL has seen some significant improvements during the second half of 2009.
Cordoba Group Relocation
On 24th August Cordoba relocated from its Dean Street office to larger offices in the heart of the City of London. Please note our new address, 6 – 7 Queen Street, London EC4N 1SP, and our new telephone number, 0844 879 4326.
Cordoba Group bucks trend with 2009 Q1 & Q2 Results
Cordoba Group is delighted to announce that their first half results for 2009 show a 27% increase in sales revenues over the same period year 2008.
A Day at the Races
This is the second time Cordoba has taken a box at the Ascot Races, twelve guests enjoyed good food, fine wine and a great day of racing - winners and losers all had a great time!
Agency Workers Directive Focus Group
In May 2009 Cordoba and the REC hosted the Agency Workers Directive Focus Group – attendees included representatives from Metronet, Network Rail, Westminster City Council, Southwark Council, Action for Children, Legal & General, Royal Mail and HSBC.
Billy Rae joins Cordoba Group to take up the role as ‘Managing Director’ of Cordoba Consulting, the Consulting & Training Company.
Addition to the senior management team:
Cordoba Group grew business volumes for the seventh consecutive year, 2008 was a remarkable year for the Group with a 25% increase in sales revenues. To assist with the growth plans, the Cordoba Group is continuing to invest in the senior management team.
Cordoba Consulting is pleased to announce the appointment of Billy Rae. Billy will take the role of Managing Director, leading the Consulting & Training Company and picking up the challenge of refocusing
this business.
Initially Billy will be responsible for building on existing relationships in the Public Sector; his extensive knowledge of this area will prove to be of great value to the Cordoba team and of great value to the
Cordoba clients.
About Billy Rae:
Billy Rae studied Film and Literature at the University of Warwick; he then trained as an Opera Singer at the Royal College of Music, London, before spending 25 years in Local Government.
He has worked at the most senior levels in Local Government, latterly as Chief Executive of an ALMO and as an interim manager at Thurrock Council. In his many years at Hammersmith & Fulham Council he held the position as the Assistant Director - Housing & service Advice.
Billy is a qualified Master Business Coach, specialising in Personal Performance and Corporate and Executive Coaching.
THE Rt HONOURABLE ‘Ian Duncan Smith’ discusses ‘CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILIY IN THE WORK PLACE’
18th June 2008 Cordoba Group and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) invited leading recruiters and employers to a Dinner at the House of Commons to discuss the Conservative agenda for diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility in the workplace.
The evening was opened by the Right Honourable Iain Duncan Smith, Chairman of the Party's new Social Justice Policy Group, one of several groups that have been set up by Conservative Party leader David Cameron to inform party policy. Iain gave an informed and passionate insight into the causes and consequences of poverty in Britain.
This introduction stimulated a lively discussion focused on seeking practical ideas to empower the least well off in society. Guests left with a better understanding of the complicated social issues that sustain poverty in Britain, new insight into the latest Conservative policy on this important area and new ideas to inform their own CSR strategies.
Peter McDonnell, Managing Director of the Cordoba Group stated “It was an uplifting evening and I think everyone took away something new from the discussions. I'd like to thank Iain and also Charles Walker MP, who sponsored the Dinner, for a truly memorable evening”.
Roger Tweedy, REC's Director of Research said “recruiters and employers are increasingly interested in Corporate Social Responsibility as 'the right thing to do' and as a way of attracting rare talent through their employer brand. The evening gave some of the leading resources in the UK powerful new insights into a complex arena”.
A Dragon's View on the Race for Talent
James Caan, the most recent addition to BBC's panel of entrepreneurial heavy-weights on the hugely popular television series, Dragon's Den, spoke at the Directors Dinner hosted by Cordoba Group and the REC 20th November 2007 at the Army & Navy Club, Pall Mall.
James made his name in the executive head hunting field with his company the Alexander Mann Group, which he headed from 1985 to 2002 and which became one of the UK's leading recruitment companies.
The theme of the evening was 'the challenges employers face in attracting the very best talent.' James delivered a passionate speech based on his experiences and how the different models for the attraction of candidates can be used to best effect. The evening was highly interactive and the many views of both the private and public sectors tested and challenged the options presented. In summary and after much discussion, the census was that there is no 'one size fits all solution' to the talent issue, the best solution is the solution that delivers the best results, this is usually tailored to suit the very specific needs of each organisation.
Directors' Dinner with Sir Digby Jones
Cordoba Group is continuing its regular series of 'Directors' Dinners for selected senior business men and women representing major UK based organisations.
The event on 10th May was held in collaboration with The REC's Industry Research Unit and took place at the House of Commons, which provided an appropriate setting for a recent Dinner between leading recruiters and employers to discuss UK skills shortages and the intensifying 'War for Talent'.
The guest speaker was Sir Digby Jones, former Director General of the CBI and recently appointed skills 'tsar'. During his tenure as Director General, Digby built a considerable reputation as a passionate and articulate champion of British industry. The dinner was timed to take place just a few months after Gordon Brown's announced his appointment as national training envoy charged with bringing employers, employees and the government together to improve skill levels.
The discussion acknowledged that talent and people are at last becoming a board level issue, and Sir Digby called upon all those present to continue the debate back in their own businesses - sharing the best practice ideas highlighted during the discussion with colleagues and targeting at least one employee from their organisation for further training.
The Gershon Report - 2 years on What's Happened and What Comes Next?
Our eighth and most recent Director's Dinner was perhaps the most successful so far. Sir Peter articulately delivered an update of the Efficiency Review "Releasing Resources to the Front Line - Independent Review of Efficiency in the Public Sector."
The Efficiency Review, written in 2004, set the ambitious goal of saving 21 Billion pounds of public sector spending. Sir Peter talked about the challenges, successes and opportunities and delivered a clear message about how further progress will be made towards achieving the 21 Billion pounds in savings by 2007.
There was provocative debate which highlighted some of the key differences between the private and public sector in the way they are structured.
Organisations that attended included Wiltshire County Council, City of London, City of Westminster, Oxfordshire County Council, Southwark Council, London Borough of Haringey, Metropolitan Police, The Audit Commission, BT, Alcatel, Aon Insurance, Network Rail, Siemens Financial Services. We believe this provided a good balance of private and public sector representation.
There have tremendous savings already achieved as a result of the focus and guidance inspired by the Gershon report, but it won't be until 2007 when its true success can be determined.